Alimzhan's Case: We Had Almost No Money for Publication—But We Found a Way, and He Defended His Thesis on Time
* The client's name has been changed to protect their privacy.
Alimzhan is a PhD candidate in education from Kazakhstan. To defend his dissertation, he needed to publish a paper in a Scopus-indexed journal—without it, he simply would not have been allowed to defend his dissertation.
But when it came down to the actual numbers, it became clear: there was almost no money for publication. The article processing charge (APC) for an international peer-reviewed journal is a significant amount. I didn’t have enough of my own funds, and it seemed there was no way out.
On top of that, there was a real-life example of how things could go wrong: a colleague had recently paid another company—and ended up with a publication in a predatory journal that isn’t indexed in Scopus. Money lost, time wasted. Alimzhan was afraid of falling into the same trap.
He wrote to us with almost no hope left. Another colleague—one who had gone through this journey with us—recommended it.
What made the task more difficult:
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The budget for publication is practically zero;
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Thesis defense requirement: a Scopus journal with a specific percentile;
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The fear of running into an unscrupulous company again;
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A complete lack of understanding of how the publishing process actually works.
What We Did—Step by Step
- Step 1. We took an honest look at the situation (Week 1)
We didn't send an invoice right away. First, we had a conversation. Alimzhan explained everything: what was needed and what the actual budget was.
We explained a few things that he simply didn't know:
— There are Scopus journals with reasonable APCs that also fully satisfy the requirements for a PhD defense.
— A predatory journal isn’t just a waste of money. It’s a threat to the entire research community. We work exclusively with journals listed in the official Scopus registry, and we review each journal before submission.
— You can split the payment into 3–4 installments—so it doesn't feel like you have to come up with the entire amount all at once.
We didn't jump right into offering a solution. First, we explained how everything worked—honestly and step by step. It became clear that there was a way out.
- Step 2. Choosing a Journal and Developing a Strategy (Weeks 1–2)
We found a Scopus Q3 journal in education—with a suitable percentile and a reasonable APC. We listed it in the official registry even before submission—to leave no room for doubt.
- Step 3. Preparing the article (months 1–2)
They wrote the manuscript in English—most Scopus journals accept only English-language texts, and for Alimzhan, this was a particular hurdle. We formatted it strictly according to the journal’s requirements: structure, reference list with up-to-date international research on pedagogy, and citation style. We submitted the article.
- Step 4. Support through Peer Review (Months 2–7)
A few months later, the editorial board sent us a request for minor revisions. The reviewers asked us to expand the methodology section and include a comparison with international practices on the topic. We prepared a response to the reviewers and made the revisions—Alimzhan participated in the discussion of the content, while we were responsible for the formatting and argumentation. The article was accepted. After it was published online, we checked its indexing in Scopus.
✅ The article was published in a Scopus Q3 journal—the requirements for the defense have been met
✅ Payment — in installments, without having to come up with the entire amount at once
✅ The entire process is guided every step of the way—from the text to indexing
✅ There wasn't even a hint of a "Predator" magazine
✅ PhD — thesis defended
📥 Alimzhan: Hello. I wanted to leave a review—I think it might help someone. I wrote to you when I was on the verge of despair. I had almost no money left for publication, and I didn't know what to do anymore.
⚡️Article Academy: I remember that conversation 😊 Tell me how it all turned out.
📥 Alimzhan: Everything worked out. But I want to explain why I reached out to you in the first place. A colleague of mine had recently paid another company—they published his work in a journal that isn’t indexed in Scopus. He lost his money and got nothing in return. I saw that happen and was really afraid the same thing would happen to me.
⚡️Article Academy: We understand that fear. That’s exactly why we always show the magazine in the official registry before submission—so that everything is transparent.
📥 Alimzhan: Yeah, that’s what convinced me. Plus, another colleague recommended you—he’d already worked with you and said everything was above board. That’s why I decided to go ahead with it. And the fact that you split the payment into installments really helped. I didn’t have to come up with the whole amount all at once.
⚡️Article Academy: We're glad we were able to find a solution together 🙏 You didn't give up either—that's important, too.
📥 Alimzhan: Thank you so much. I've successfully defended my PhD thesis, and it's officially listed in Scopus. I'll recommend you to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.
*The client's name has been changed to protect her privacy.
